Cupid Calling
by Karen M
Summary: A light Valentine story about a determined cupid named Sidney assigned to Lee Stetson, to make sure that Scarecrow gets the arrow this year, even if it has to be the derriere..


CUPID CALLING   
  
  
DISCLAIMER: The characters of Lee and Amanda are owned by Warner Bros, and Shoot The Moon  
Productions. The story is mine for everyone's entertainment.  
  
RATING: PG  
  
SUMMARY: A light Valentine story about a determined cupid named Sidney assigned to Lee Stetson ,  
and Sidney's battle to make sure that this year Lee gets struck, even if it be the derriere.  
  
PART I  
  
Somewhere in the depths of the miscellaneous part of the universe exists, maybe in the imagination,  
maybe in the heart, a joyful group of extraverts. Their primary purpose is to please the customers,  
whom are innumerable. These outgoing sprite's busy time begins in the middle of January to their   
peak time, February 14th. Overtime is mandatory from February 13th through February 15th. All  
cupids on hand. Their location is called Cupid Central.  
  
Cornelius, the head Cupid, reviews the N. C. W. A. list every year, (non-compliance with an arrow).  
The recipient is given three chances of success. After that, three strikes and you're out. The list was  
not overwhelmingly large but the most experienced sprites were needed to handle these cases, the   
hard core avoiders. Cornelius was really concerned about the latter group. The members of this group  
managed to steer clear of the intended arrow. As Corny reevaluated the avoiders, he noticed one   
especially tough customer. The history showed one Lee Stetson, an intelligence operative in Washington  
D.C. , as being very strong in the "steering clear" category. Corny would engage his most experienced  
cupid , Sidney, to deal with Mr. Stetson.   
  
The first order of business was to send Sidney to Earth to observe Lee and come to a conclusion concerning  
his present emotional level. Particularly with regard to the woman in his life, his partner, Amanda King.  
Sidney would report back to Cornelius with his findings, and they would decide the next step to take.  
Sidney would approach Mr. Stetson around January 21st to allow enough time before Valentines Day to  
motivate Scarecrow.   
  
The sprite invaded Lee's apartment at the scheduled time, armed with his notebook, and arrows. Flying  
around Lee's abode, the cupid's first impression was one of complete disarray. Clothes and newspapers  
were scattered everywhere. "He needs the cleaning angel in this place," thought Sidney, making a note.  
He then flew into the bedroom, with his noisy little wings, to find a slumbering agent. He approached Lee more closely, to observe his dream state, of course. Stage 3-"heavy into it", and a completely pleasant dream, to boot. Sidney took more notes on the intensity of his dream, and the emotion involved with reference to Amanda King. Lee was hugging his pillow for dear life, and sporting a silly grin on his face, as he rocked the object of his affection back and forth. What a sweet dream, apparently. "Amanda," he smiled, as his lips formed a kiss.  
  
  
"Well, the dream situation seems to be alright, no problem there," concluded Sidney. "Next, is how and  
what he does consciously throughout his day. That definitely has to be where the problem lies." Sidney  
got a little too close to Lee with his wings, because Lee awoke and swatted at the buzzing in his ear.  
Even tough the cherub was invisible to him,the noise level got through, and sent Sidney sailing across  
the room, spilling his notes and arrows. He was a little peeved.   
  
Scarecrow retrieved some fresh underwear, and headed for the bathroom, for his morning shower. The   
cupid waited for him until he was ready to leave for work. Sidney would not have been able to keep up   
with the Vette in traffic, so he snuck in the back seat. He tried to stay put with his wings tucked under  
him. Well, the Vette took off a second later. The little angel was not prepared for this action. He didn't  
know what seatbelts were, so he was bolted forward into the front seat. He screamed angrily, and hit Lee's  
arm. Even though, again, he was not seen, Scarecrow still heard his cry at a distance, and felt a prick on  
his right arm. Lee Stetson was starting to become one of the cupid's non-favorites.   
  
Lee parked the Vette in the Agency lot and made his way up to the Q Bureau. It was all Sidney could  
do to keep up with him. Once up in the Q, Lee saw his partner at her desk. She greeted him with a sweet  
smile, and a "Good morning, Lee" Sidney liked her instantly. Lee returned her smile, and replied, "good  
morning, Amanda, working on reports, I see." "Yep, and almost done," she sighed. "Then I get to start  
the next batch."  
  
"Hey," Lee interrupted, "let's go get a cup of coffee first to break up the monotony. Maybe, I'll even eat  
a light breakfast, c'mon," he hurried, "get your coat." Lee took her hand, they headed down the steps to  
Pop's. a breakfast café around the corner. Sidney decided he would wait till they got back, noting the   
hand holding on the way out.. He was too tired to even bother flying now. He decided to take a short  
snooze in one of Lee's desk drawers, just for a little while. "Zzzzzzzz," after three seconds of putting  
his head down, using his wings as a pillow, he was sound asleep. Of course, the drawer was left open to accommodate the sleepy cherub. Thirty minutes, you know who, was sawing logs , so much so, he could  
be heard.   
  
Lee and Amanda entered and tried to resume their working schedule. "Lee, what's that noise, that sawing  
sound, like someone's asleep?" Amanda inquired. "I hear it, too," remarked Lee, "but I don't see anyone.  
Oh, well, back to the old grind. As he attempted to take his seat, he tripped over the open bottom drawer.  
"Ow," he complained, "who left that open. He shut the drawer quickly. Next thing he heard was this   
muffled scream, coming from the drawer. So he opened it. Sidney was perturbed, and hit Lee with his  
quiver of arrows on the arm. "Ow," stammered Lee, what was that?" holding his right arm. "Lee, are you  
o.k.?" asked a concerned Amanda. "Yeah, I just feel like I'm getting stung all the time," Scarecrow  
answered. Sidney was ready to give it all up, but he calmed down.   
  
The rest of the morning in the Q was routine. Francine waltzed in around lunch time with some more case  
paper work. She casually , but deliberately, talked to Amanda about the Agency's upcoming Valentine  
dance on the 15th, and the fact that she already had a date with Fred Fielder planned. "I'm sure you'll have  
a wonderful time, Francine," Amanda acknowledged, with a sweet smile. Then Francine really stung.   
"How about you, Amanda. Who are you going with?" she seethed. Lee was pretending to fill out some  
reports, and couldn't get up the nerve to interrupt and say, "she's going with me, Francine," as his heart  
wanted him to. Sidney couldn't stand it anymore. He gathered the bow, aimed the arrow ready to shoot,  
and hit Lee in the butt, dead center, right side. "Oh, God," Lee yelped. He stood up, traveled to Amanda's  
side, placed his arm around her waist, and boasted to Francine, "she's my date, Francine. I'm a lucky man  
to have had her say yes," Lee slyly replied. "I'm really looking forward to the dance, especially with   
Amanda." Francine looked at both partners, and stated harshly, "whatever", and walked out of the Q Bureau.   
  
PART II  
  
Lee knew there would be hell to pay next, so he locked the Q door, ready to see papers fly, among other things. Amanda disengaged herself from his arm, walked back to her desk in silence, face down. She   
would not look at Lee. She grabbed her purse and coat to exit the office, the shadow of tears in her eyes.  
She wanted to, at least, have some self -respect left. Lee had taken care of the rest. "Amanda, wait," Lee  
shouted, running after her, "please wait." Amanda made to the parking lot in two minutes. She forgot  
to retrieve her car keys from her handbag, and, as she was doing so, Lee caught up with her. "Amanda, let  
me explain," implored Scarecrow. He placed his hand on her arm. "Don't touch me, Lee," she yelled  
in a voice he never heard before, daring and final. Scarecrow grabbed her car keys from her quickly,  
"get in," he ordered, "I'll drive." She angrily sat in the opposite front seat of her car, and slammed the   
door. She kept her eyes down, and her arms crossed in front of her. "Where are you taking me,?" she  
shouted, through gritted teeth. "To my place," he answered curtly. "We can eat lunch and talk," he  
responded, a little more soothingly, trying to take her hand, and keep his cool. She wouldn't budge.  
Lee used her car phone to inform Billy that he and Amanda had some case activities to clean up, and   
they would see him tomorrow morning. "Why did you tell Billy that?" she demanded.   
  
"Amanda, we are going to talk, you're not leaving my apartment until things are settled," he returned  
firmly. "So you can feel pacified for what you just did to me. How could you, Lee? How could you?"  
she stammered her whole body shaking, the tears starting.  
  
Lee looked at her very emotionally, wondering why, but grateful, to be feeling this way. He wanted to  
inform her of what she meant to him, so he decided to risk it all. "Amanda, darling, please look at me.   
I'm so sorry for announcing you as my date that way. I wanted to show up Francine, and stop her from  
harassing you . Most of all, I really want to take you to that dance, Amanda, please, can we call a truce.  
Can you drive? I'm too upset." Amanda looked at Lee, and softened a bit. He was teary eyed, all the pent  
up feelings, now surfacing . He smiled and took her hand. She softened at his gaze, reaching over for   
her car keys, placing her other hand on his cheek to stop a tear. "Thanks," he smiled, taking her hand   
from his face and kissing it. "Look, just hear me out, and then, if you want to leave, you can drive me  
over to pick up my car, and then go home, deal?" She smiled and nodded affirmatively. They drove in  
silence to Lee's apartment, giving him a chance to calm down. Sidney scrunched in the back seat, because  
he knew there would be hell to pay with Cornelius, for not following procedures. Cupid Central would  
be buzzing today. Cupids don't get mad, and hitting the customer with the arrow before Valentines Day   
was unheard of previously. Lee Stetson sure brings out the worst in cherubs.   
  
Later, up in Lee's apartment  
  
Lunch of roast beef and cheddar cheese sandwiches was very good. Afterwards, they settled down on  
the sofa, close to each other. Lee took both her hands in his, trying to figure where to start. He decided  
to pour his heart out, and come clean with everything he felt for her. "Amanda, I don't have a lot of   
expertise at conveying feelings, but here goes, he looked her in the eyes. "When I first met you at the train station, I looked into those beautiful, brown eyes, and I knew I was a goner. I fell for you on that first day,  
and I've been fighting it ever since." Lee wiped his eye as another tear came. "Amanda, I've never felt  
this way about any other woman. I feel such a strong bond with you. The intensity scares me, some  
times, and holds me back from revealing my feelings. These feelings are getting stronger every day.  
Look at me, I'm a wreck." He stopped to focus. "Amanda, I love you with all my heart. I can't lose you,  
like I've lost many others that I loved , my parents, Dorothy, Eric. I would die if I lost you. I can't live  
another day not telling you how I feel," he was shaking . "I'm so sorry about the way I confronted Francine. I wasn't using you, she deserved everything she got. I really wanted to take you to that dance, but was too chicken to ask you. Do you understand all this?"   
  
Amanda responded by wrapping her arms around Lee's neck tightly, and kissing him soundly, pulling  
him to her as closely as possible. When they broke for air, she looked into his eyes and said, "I love  
you, Lee Stetson. I've been dreaming of this moment for so long, I never thought it would come true.  
I love you so much." Scarecrow smiled and shook his head. He kissed Amanda passionately, "my  
Amanda," he whispered.   
  
Sidney, who had come upstairs with them, was sitting on Lee's desk, and saw the whole incident.  
"They don't need me anymore," he smiled. "I'm so glad it worked out for them. It makes this job  
worthwhile." He flew back up to Cupid Central, small wings buzzing all the way. Cornelius called on his  
"kiss' tell" phone, and told Sidney he wanted to see him immediately. Sidney flew into his boss's office  
and sagged down uncomfortably on his wings , expecting the worst. No reprimand was given, just a note  
in his drop file, that he took proper "aim" under the circumstances. Sidney asked if he could visit Lee and  
Amanda one more time to leave a present for Valentines Day on the day of the dance, at Amanda's home.  
Corny didn't see any problem.  
  
February 15th, Saturday, the day of the Valentine dance  
  
Amanda's family was away for the weekend , so it was decided that Lee would pick her up at her home  
at 6:30 p.m. to have dinner beforehand. They were very close now, celebrating each day as a gift, and   
wondering why they had not told each other, how much they loved one another earlier. Lee, especially, greeted each day with happiness, as he thought of the woman who had made it all possible. Sometimes,  
though, he still wondered where that sharp sting in the butt came from. He had a black and blue mark in  
that area for three weeks afterward.   
  
Amanda looked beautiful in a new red gown, floor length, slit up the back, cut reasonably low in front,  
with matching shoes and bag. Around her neck was a ruby and diamond necklace, and matching earrings.  
This was Lee's Valentine gift. She looked beautiful. Her hair was up in a French roll, secured by a   
diamond hairclip in the back, soft ringlets framing her face. The door bell rang at 6:30 p.m., and this time  
she was ready for Lee. He looked her over, just staring, and replied, "you look fabulous. I'll have all the men jealous of me tonight." He took her in his arms, and kissed her possessively. "I love you, Amanda."  
he whispered. Amanda looked into his eyes, "I love you, too, Lee. This will be the best Valentine holiday  
ever, because I get to spend it with the man I love."   
  
At that moment, both heard a "buzz" across the kitchen, and a small cupid appeared before them. They  
were both amazed, but not overly so. Sidney flew over to Lee, presenting him with roses to give to his  
Amanda. Sidney gave Lee a small arrow and bow as a reminder of the turnaround in his life. Lee smiled and pinched the cherub's cheek playfully. The cupid got bright red. Amanda kissed him on the cheek.  
Sidney whirled around, batting his eyelashes. "Thank you," they both said in unison, smiling at one  
Another. Sidney just chuckled, waved goodbye, then disappeared. "He was so sweet," smiled Amanda.  
"Not half as sweet as you," replied Lee, taking her hand. I'll be forever grateful to him for waking me up.  
The bow and arrow is the reminder. I'll treasure these for the rest of my life. Let's go, my love,' Lee  
Smiled, "we'll be late." He guided his partner to the Vette, and thought to himself, he will never forget  
Sidney, nor his sore butt.   
  
Happy Valentines Day, everyone   



End file.
